Why We Chose to Go Covert to Expose Crime in the Kurdish Population

Two Kurdish-background individuals consented to work covertly to reveal a operation behind unlawful High Street businesses because the criminals are causing harm the image of Kurdish people in the United Kingdom, they say.

The pair, who we are calling Saman and Ali, are Kurdish-origin reporters who have both lived lawfully in the UK for years.

The team uncovered that a Kurdish-linked crime network was managing small shops, hair salons and car washes across Britain, and sought to find out more about how it worked and who was participating.

Armed with covert recording devices, Saman and Ali posed as Kurdish asylum seekers with no authorization to work, seeking to buy and manage a mini-mart from which to sell unlawful tobacco products and electronic cigarettes.

They were able to uncover how straightforward it is for a person in these situations to start and manage a business on the main street in public view. Those participating, we learned, pay Kurds who have UK residency to register the businesses in their names, helping to deceive the officials.

Saman and Ali also succeeded to covertly document one of those at the heart of the network, who asserted that he could eliminate government fines of up to £60k faced those using illegal employees.

"I aimed to play a role in revealing these illegal operations [...] to loudly proclaim that they do not represent our community," explains one reporter, a ex- asylum seeker himself. The reporter came to the UK without authorization, having escaped from the Kurdish region - a territory that straddles the boundaries of multiple Middle Eastern countries but which is not globally acknowledged as a nation - because his well-being was at risk.

The investigators recognize that tensions over illegal immigration are significant in the UK and state they have both been anxious that the probe could inflame tensions.

But Ali says that the unauthorized labor "damages the entire Kurdish-origin population" and he feels compelled to "expose it [the criminal network] out into public view".

Separately, the journalist explains he was worried the publication could be used by the far-right.

He states this notably impressed him when he noticed that extreme right activist Tommy Robinson's national unity march was happening in the capital on one of the Saturdays and Sundays he was operating secretly. Placards and banners could be spotted at the rally, reading "we demand our nation returned".

The reporters have both been observing social media reaction to the investigation from within the Kurdish community and say it has generated intense frustration for some. One Facebook post they observed said: "In what way can we find and track [the undercover reporters] to harm them like dogs!"

Another urged their families in the Kurdish region to be harmed.

They have also encountered allegations that they were informants for the UK government, and betrayers to fellow Kurds. "Both of us are not informants, and we have no desire of damaging the Kurdish-origin community," Saman explains. "Our aim is to expose those who have compromised its image. Both journalists are proud of our Kurdish-origin heritage and extremely worried about the actions of such persons."

Most of those applying for asylum claim they are escaping politically motivated discrimination, according to an expert from the a refugee support organization, a non-profit that assists asylum seekers and refugee applicants in the United Kingdom.

This was the scenario for our undercover journalist Saman, who, when he initially arrived to the United Kingdom, faced difficulties for many years. He explains he had to survive on less than twenty pounds a week while his asylum claim was considered.

Asylum seekers now receive about £49 a per week - or £9.95 if they are in accommodation which provides meals, according to government regulations.

"Realistically saying, this isn't enough to support a acceptable life," explains Mr Avicil from the RWCA.

Because asylum seekers are mostly prevented from employment, he feels many are open to being exploited and are effectively "forced to work in the black market for as low as three pounds per hour".

A official for the Home Office said: "The government are unapologetic for denying asylum seekers the permission to be employed - doing so would create an motivation for people to travel to the UK illegally."

Asylum applications can take a long time to be resolved with nearly a one-third requiring more than 12 months, according to official statistics from the spring this year.

Saman states working without authorization in a vehicle cleaning service, barbershop or mini-mart would have been extremely easy to achieve, but he informed the team he would not have participated in that.

Nonetheless, he explains that those he met working in illegal mini-marts during his investigation seemed "confused", especially those whose refugee application has been refused and who were in the legal challenge.

"These individuals expended all their savings to come to the UK, they had their refugee application refused and now they've sacrificed all they had."

Ali acknowledges that these individuals seemed in dire straits.

"When [they] say you're not allowed to work - but additionally [you]